1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a device for equipping birds with a transponder.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
For the purposes of equipping birds or fowl or poultry with electronic passive high-frequency transponders, it is known from the article `Die Markierung von Zoo- und Haustieren mit dem elektronischen Markierungsverfahren EURO I.D.` by O Behlert in KLEINTIERPRAXIS, 34th edition, pages 477 to 479 (1989), for the thin, bar-shaped, glass-encased transponder to be implanted into the pectoral musculature, a thigh or one side of the neck in front of the shoulder of birds, where the foreign body grows into the bird in a positionally stable manner and cannot be readily removed again even after the animal has been slaughtered. Directly fitting a transponder in that way is therefore worth discussing only in relation to select animals, for example in a zoo for the purposes of documenting behaviour or breeding results and in the domestic animal sector for identifying the owners. An implanted transponder of that kind would subsequently cause problems in the situation involving large-scale animal husbandry for producing meat.
It is known in a pigeon sporting context to fit carrier pigeons with foot rings into which is fitted an identity transponder in order automatically to be able to detect the arrival time of the pigeon at the home loft without manual intervention requirements and to provide that information for competition assessment. Particularly in relation to chicks however it is scarcely possible permanently to fit foot rings and in particular to use the comparatively large transponder foot rings because in the first days of the life of the birds the feet are still so small and soft that the ring could be easily stripped off again; while on the other hand, in the first weeks of the life of the birds, the circumference of the legs of the birds increases quickly in such a way that a ring which fits closely over the foot would adversely affect the growth process. On the other hand, in regard to commercial animal husbandry, precisely also in relation to chicks which are only several days old, it is a matter of great interest, in terms of optimising the rearing result, of being able to observe and evaluate as early as possible for example changes in the feeding behaviour and the nesting habits of individual animals.